Linguistics and language testing

In language tests, the tester use language to measure the language abilities of examinees. It incorporates advances in several areas, including theoretical frameworks for describing language proficiency, studies in language acquisition and language teaching, and measurement theorizing.

Language tests not only measure a wide range of linguistic knowledge, grammatical, lexical, textual, and sociocultural, but also the competences to use these aspects of knowledge appropriately in communication, including abilities to make inferences in understanding implicit meanings.

Language competences are classified into two types: organizational competences and pragmatic competence. Organizational competence includes grammatical competence and textual competence; pragmatic competence consists of illocutionary competence and sociolinguistic competence.

Progress in linguistic theorizing will provide insights into the nature of language and language use. Such insights do have implications for language testing.